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Carlos Lake reads lower on nutrients and algae than Le Homme Dieu Lake. Both are in Douglas County, Minnesota.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

Both Carlos Lake and Le Homme Dieu Lake sit in Minnesota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any differences in the readings here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies sampling them. The readings are close: Carlos Lake and Le Homme Dieu Lake sit within a narrow band of each other on phosphorus, chlorophyll-a and clarity. The per-parameter table below shows where the small differences actually live.

With readings this close, the choice between the two lakes turns on non-water-quality factors: depth, fish species, public access, distance from home. The per-lake pages below cover all of those.

Carlos Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota

Crystal clear, you can see 18 ft down.

Le Homme Dieu Lake

Douglas County, Minnesota

Good clarity, visible to about 13.1 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

MetricCarlos LakeLe Homme Dieu Lake
Water Clarity18 ft Better13.1 ft
Phosphorus13.5 µg/L Better21 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)2.1 µg/L Better3.7 µg/L
Maximum Depth163 ft Better85 ft
Surface Area2,605 acres1,801 acres
Public AccessYesYes
Fish Species21 Better20
Trophic Stateoligotrophicmesotrophic

A green ✓ marks the better value for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better). Surface area and trophic state carry no tick — a bigger lake is not a better lake.

Verdict

Carlos Lake and Le Homme Dieu Lake read the same on nutrients and algae overall. The tiebreakers come down to clarity (Carlos Lake: 18 ft, Le Homme Dieu Lake: 13.1 ft) and what you want from the lake. Carlos Lake supports more documented fish species.

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Where to stay near Carlos Lake and Le Homme Dieu Lake

Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Carlos Lake and Le Homme Dieu Lake. Both lakes are pinned on the map, so you can see which stays sit nearer the one you pick. Switch to Satellite to see how close each is to the water.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.